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There’s hardly a need to recite the latest awful statistics about mass shootings in America to make this point: it may well be time for your business or organization to consider adding Active Assailant coverage to your insurance policies.
The growing frequency of mass shootings has made it harder for schools, churches, event venues and other places of business to defend themselves against allegations of negligence in the aftermath of these attacks, leaving them vulnerable to expensive, drawn-out lawsuits and huge jury verdicts.
GUIDE: How to Prepare Your Business for an Active Shooter
Active Assailant coverage, also known as Active Shooter coverage, may not be necessary for a business or organization without much foot traffic. But we know that these shootings can happen in any workplace.
Sold in increments as small as $1 million and up to $100 million, Active Assailant coverage will fill in gaps that a general liability or commercial property policy were never designed to address.
As in any insurance purchasing decision, it’s important to look closely at the language of these policies to understand what’s covered and what’s not.
Typically, these policies offer both property damage and business interruption coverage, including event cancellations.
The physical damage coverage in these policies does more than help companies pay for repairs; it also will cover the expense of tearing down a building and the cost of security upgrades added to replacement structures, including panic buttons, bulletproof glass and metal detectors.
Active Shooter policies also offer coverage of medical costs and death benefits, including repatriation, if necessary, of those killed.
Active Shooter coverage also helps cover expenses related to public relations, crisis consultants, employee counseling and additional or temporary security measures.
The exclusions in these policies – in other words, what’s not covered – are as important to understand as what is, in fact, covered. Most commonly, we’ve seen exclusions for domestic violence, exclusions that specify a minimum number of victims before the policy kicks in, and exclusions for terrorism.
Beyond buying an Active Shooter policy, your business or organization should also consider your response preparedness and readiness. Many of the Active Assailant policies available today include coverage for the cost of on-site seminars to train employees and develop active-shooter response plans.
The Mahoney Group is one of the largest independent commercial insurance and employee benefits brokerages in the U.S. For more information, contact us online or call 877-440-3304.
This article is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice.